Stress reaction: why it is different for men and women?

by Sonia Chartier, on 2 November 2015,

• Men's Health,

• Stress and sleep,

• Women's Health
• via the A.Vogel Blog

There are an almost overwhelming number of factors that contribute to the build-up of modern day stress.

And let’s face it, who behaves at their best when they are under stress? Perhaps you recognise yourself in one or more of these classic behaviours…
Do you:
* Stomp around angrily looking for trouble with the first person who might provoke you?
* Leave a trail of mess and chaos around the house?
* Isolate and withdraw not wanting to reveal your vulnerable feelings?
* Blame yourself and have to listen to a never ending internal diatribe of critical dialogue?
* Overcommit and run around like a headless chicken?
* Reach for the biscuit tin, a large coffee and a glass of wine when you get home?
* Get the credit card out and shop until you drop?

Whether you stressed out defaults are like those listed above or special and unique to you, the chances are you don’t feel at your best when under stress and would benefit from doing things differently. Interestingly, studies in the last few years have revealed that men and women do have different stress defaults. Apparently this is partly due to the hormone and neurotransmitter oxytocin, which is released along with cortisol and other hormones when we are under stress. Oxytocin levels generally rise when we hug, nurture and bond with another, leaving us feeling happy more relaxed. It seems that women naturally release more oxytocin than men giving us an instinct to ‘tend and befriend’ when under pressure. If you consider the days of our ancestors when ‘fight or flight’ meant literally running for your life, it’s easy to imagine that women would seek to protect their offspring and stay close to others, while men went out to fight off the threat.

These days our stressors tend to be more emotional or psychological but the response from men and women apparently is still likely to reflect these varying instincts.

Stress reaction in men and women
Men may naturally:
* Withdraw and find communication challenging
* Tend to want to be alone in their ‘man cave’
* Tend towards fight (getting angry, competitive or looking for someone to blame)
* Or flight (wanting to escape into a distraction)
Women may naturally:
* Feel a whole range of difficult emotions
* Want to talk, seek reassurance and nurture
* Seek to keep relationships harmonious even if it calls for going into overdrive and self-sacrifice

So for those of you left wondering why it can be challenging being around the opposite sex when under stress it seems my husband had a point when he claimed, ‘women look for empathy and men look for solutions’.

What you need to know
If you are wrestling a whirlwind or hoping to help a loved one manage a maelstrom here are some tips: Stressed men may benefit from:
* Being given space (to be alone or out with the boys)
* Subtle suggestions to talk but only if required
* Physical or competitive exercise
* Pursuing a hobby
Women may benefit from:
* Talking to a friend, family member or support network
* Indulging in a nurturing activity
* Taking a relaxing bath or getting a massage
* Saying ‘no’ to going into overdrive and ‘yes’ to self care.
Need an extra help?

Stress often interferes with sleep, which is vital for allowing the body time to heal and restore tissues to prime functioning order, but also for processing the events of the day – good therefore for mental/emotional health. Some natural substances can be helpful during turbulent times:

* Magnesium to calm the nervous system and relax muscles
* Vitamin B to strengthen the nervous system against stress, both physical and mental/emotional
* The combination of Passiflora incarnata and Avena sativa is great. Both are wonderfully calming remedies that can be taken long term or short term to help reduce the effects of stress. Together, they relax muscles and make it easier to sleep well. They can be taken alongside any other medication.

That said we humans are complex beings with aspects of the masculine and feminine whether we are male or female.  Therefore the most important thing is to create a personal self-care kit that works for you and be sure to call on it and communicate it to all those who need to know.

References

http://www.webmd.com/women
http://www.uhc.com/
http://www.besthealthmag.ca
http://www.huffingtonpost.com